Going into week seven, I’m
feeling really confident (but not like that does you any good when it’s the
Vikings). Even though the Cardinals had a very
surprising 4-2 start to the season, the Vikings have had their surprises as
well, including their very own 4-2 start. But overall both teams were never
expected to do much this season so this should be a very interesting game.
The Cardinals are looking to
redeem themselves after a two-game losing streak. The Cardinals started the season 4-0, including wins over the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles, but have lost their last two.
Motivation.
It’s what will win this game. The Cardinals will be playing hard strictly from
their motivation to get their season back on track, while the Vikings are
playing out of motivation to keep the excitement alive. Excitement that’s been
pouring in ever since the upset over 49ers, but I don’t really call that an “upset”
anymore because the Vikings aren’t the underdogs anymore.
And
then there are those who are worried sick about the game. “Oh nooo! It’s the
Cardinals who are 4-2!” Guess what! We’re 4-2 too! You’ll be surprised how
unstable the Cardinals really are.
Now
let’s get to the good part. Why the Vikings have the advantage going into
Sunday’s game.
It’s their home field. The Metrodome. The old,
leaky sealing, roof collapsing Metrodome. Ahhh…home. At least until our astonishing new stadium is done. But
still, it’s the home field advantage.
Jared Allen &
Everson Griffen will plow through the Cardinals offense. The Cardinals still
have a shaky offense. This will give Allen and Griffen the chance to move in and
hopefully add to their sacks.
Adrian Peterson and Percy
Harvin.
Enough said.
No Kevin Kolb. The Cardinals offense
was a mess after John Skelton took over for an injured Kevin Kolb. He's not the
type of quarterback who can have success with an unstable offensive line, and
that's exactly what he has to deal with on Sunday.
Kyle Rudolph leads the league among all tight ends with five
touchdowns catches. He’ll be looking to extend his touchdowns on
Sunday. Rudolph is Christian Ponder’s favorite target in the end zone so he’ll definitely
be one to watch closely.
All
we really need to worry about is Christian Ponder. I know you’ve probably heard
this a million times but he’s shown improvement. But last game he took a few
steps back. Ponder threw for a season-high 352 yards last week, but his two
interceptions destroyed the team's chances to win.
I
hope all this makes everyone feel better about going into to Sunday’s game
against the Arizona Cardinals.
Also:
I wanted to also note here that the new design of DailyLeisureVikings.com is
coming this Tuesday, which is also the two-year anniversary of Daily Leisure
Vikings. Later today we’ll be unveiling the preview video of what’s coming so
stay tuned! It’s going to be stunning!
